Weingut Karl Schnabel

WEINGUT KARL SCHNABEL - ERMIHOF
Winery, Philosophy and Wines 
Our family winery is located in the south of Austria in the wineregion South Styria (Südsteiermark) on the 
mountain called Sausal. Since generations the farming on our estate Ermihof has been made on an 
organic basis. We have never worked conventionally, neither in the vineyard nor in the cellar. Since 1998 
the traditional winery has been run by us - Karl and Eva Schnabel -, meanwhile with the support of our 
three sons. All of our wines have been natural wines from the beginning on.

We are a bio-dynamic certified winery, and this already since 2001. For us it was always clear that we run 
our farm in a biodynamic way. We realize that our daily doing results from our inside "programme" being 
a real farmer. Therefore we are not directed by contemporary trends but we are indebted to our earth, 
to the wine as an object of cultural value and to the consumer in terms of producing proper, free of 
residues and agreeable goods. 

Our wines are cultural goods of original tradition. Through our uncompromising work in the vineyard and 
cellar, we get lively natural wines without any sulfur and other additives added as well as without any 
chemical and technical manipulation. The barren and poor Sausal soil, the vintage and the handwriting of 
the winemaker are reflected in our wines.
Wineregion and Climate
The mountain Sausal, arised in the Paleozoic era, is older than the Alps. The soils of the Sausal consist of 
siliceous primary rock in the form of schist and are without limestone, as the Sausal was never 
overflooded by the primal sea. Due to the high percentage of rock, the soils are very loose and 
accumulate warmness. Barrenness and steepness with grades of up to 70% are further characteristics of 
this hilly landscape. The climate in the Sausal is Illyrian Mediterranean.
Biotope Vineyard
Our lively vineyards in the Sausal are biotopes rich in plant and animal diversity. The biodynamic 
cultivation of our vineyards supports our being at one with nature. Besides watering places and nesting 
sites also piles of stone for example have been set up to promote animal biodiversity. The herbs we 
collect in our vineyards, such as stinging nettle, horsetail and yarrow, are brewed in our kettle with a 
capacity of 1000 l and used in order to strengthen and protect the plants.Natural wines require artisanal 
farming. The grass under the vines is cut with a scythe. Between the rows the grass remains untouched 
in order to achieve the greatest possible biodiversity in the vineyard. No tractor is used to avoid soil 
compaction.
Biodynamic circular economy
Our “Celtic cattle”, an ancient Central European cattle breed, are unique in the Styrian wine-growing 
countryside. The cattle exploit the lush grass that grows in our region and provide quality natural 
fertilizer for the soil in our vineyards. Our Ermihof is a lively farm organism with a vibrant circular 
economy